Located about 19 kms from Sigiriya, Dambulla
is home to the Dambulla Cave Centre, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dambulla lies
approximately 148 kilometers (roughly
91 miles) to the Northeast of the Sri
Lankan capital, Colombo. It is renowned
the world-over for the presence of the
Iron Wood Forest, and the Rose Quartz
Mountain Range. Dambulla provides historical
adventures and breathtaking sights in
a region UNESCO has designated the Cultural
Triangle. The city is a unique and important
historical site because of the amalgamation
of the material from many eras.

Places to See

Major attractions of the Dambulla Cave
Centre are spread over 5 caves, which
contain the statues and the paintings.
Since its foundation in the 1 century
BC byKing Valagamba, many modifications
have been carried out to the sculptures
and paintings. Hindu statues are believed
to be of the 12 century AD and the latest
paintings are of the late 18-century.
The temple is a perfect location to view
evolution of the ancient Sri Lankan arts.

Dambulla is surrounded by about 80 caves,
that are meditation locations for a number
of monks and has been a sacred pilgrimage
site for 22 centuries. This cave monastery
with its five sanctuaries is the largest,
best-preserved cave-temple complex in
Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings
(covering an area of 2,100 metre square)
are of particular importance, as are the
157 statues.

Other interesting attractions include
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium,
a 30,000 seat cricket stadium constructed
in a mere 167 days and overlooking theDambulla
Tank (reservoir) and the Dambulla Rock
and the Rose Quartz Mountain Range.